Sinead O'Reilly
Sinead is an original character made to be the main focus of my Titanic fanfiction, Swallowed in the Sea Early Life Sinead was born June 7, 1889 in the Fore Abbey village in Ireland to Fionna and Seamus O'Reilly. She was the youngest of four after three older brothers: Seamus Jr., Fitz, and Murphy. Since she grew up surrounded by boys, SInead was very tom-boyish as a child and so had many male friends including Tommy Ryan. In 1902 at age 13, Sinead helped a wealthy English woman find her way through the village and refused any compensation, stating she would not feel any honor in taking the woman's money. Later that day the woman,Charlotte Appleton, came to Sinead's home to speak with her parents. She said she could give Sinead a brighter future by taking her to America where she would be groomed and educated as a lady. The O'Reillys agreed in order to take Sinead out of poverty. America Sinead moved with the Appletons to New York City. The couple payed for her to be privately schooled within their home and saw to her health and well-being. Sinead acted as a companion to Mrs. Appleton and traveled with her wherever she went, learning to act proper and to hide her heavy Irish accent (though it was still present in private and in times of frustration). The three were a make-shift family though Sinead's official role was as a member of their extensive staff. During her stay in America, Sinead kept in regulr contact with her parents and brothers, but was not given funds to visit them. She mentions her eldest brother, Seamus, coming to visit once in her late teens, but for the most part she is isolated from her kin. Despite this fact, she was generally happy in New York and felt very close with Mrs. Appleton as well as her sisters. In 1912 Mrs. Appleton's sister, Lady Victor Drummond, died in Englad, Charlotte traveled with her other two sisters and Sinead to attend the funeral. The ladies planned to travel back to America on the RMS Titanic and docked in Southampton as first-class passengers. The Titanic On board the Titanic Sinead, now 23, is left mostly to her own devices and the sisters are still in mourning. Though she holds a first class ticket, Sinead enjoys going down to the third-class areas and meeting fellow Irishmen. During one of these visits, she is playing a game with a group of children born in her village after her departure. As she plays the damsel in distress, she slips off the edge of the ship and is hanging on by the rails. The children run to get help, but instead on getting an officer they bring back Tommy Ryan who recognizes Sinead from their childhood. After being reunited with Tommy, Sinead spends more and more time with him in third-class and ignores her companion duties. Mrs. Appleton is suspicious of her behavior and reminds her constantly to behave like a lady and not embarrass her. Sinead ignores this advice and is eventually caught sneaking into the ship's pool with Tommy. Mrs. Appleton strikes her after finding this out, but immediately repents, telling Sinead she had always loved her as a daughter and only ever wanted her to be happy. She dismisses Sinead after this, freeing her to be with Tommy. The ship strikes the iceberg as Sinead goes to leave the cabin. She stays behind to ensure Mrs. Appleton and her sisters are taken care of, but refuses to enter a lifeboat with them, instead choosing to go back for Tommy. She finds him in third-class and together they get to the deck along with the others still aboard. Sinead again refuses to escape the ship when she realizes Tommy would be left behind. The two attempt to stay on the ship as long as possible, but eventually Sinead is shoved off by the crowd and falls into the water, Tommy diving in after her. The two manage to stay afloat on the church alter and wait there for hours until a lifeboat returns for survivors. They are saved along with Rose DeWitt Bukater and taken aboard the RMS Carpathia. After the Sinking On the Carpathia Sinead is reunited with Mrs. Appleton and her sisters. After introducing Tommy to them, the two are welcomed with open arms and accompany the sisters back to New York. Tommy and Sinead live with the Appleton's for several years before making their way back to Ireland where Sinead is able to be with her parents again for the first time in over a decade. She and Tommy build a home for themselves in the village and live out the rest of their lives there staying in regular contact with the Appletons. Appearances Sinead is seen in Hereafter having died decades after surviving the Titanic sinking. She is a friend of Nora O'Leary and speaks with Hannah Riordan briefly about her wait for Tommy to pass into their world. In the last chapter she is seen with the others around the staircase and is accompanied by Tommy.